Interstate 74

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West Virginia

As of October 2007, Interstate 74 remains unbuilt in the state of West Virginia. It is to be routed mostly along the current path of US 52, known as the Tolsia Highway. WVDOT is currently upgrading the Tolsia Highway to four lanes, but not to interstate standards.

Virginia

As of October 2006, Interstate 74 remains unbuilt in the state of Virginia north of Interstate 81 and unsigned along its designated path along Interstate 77 south of Wytheville to the North Carolina border.

North Carolina

In the state of North Carolina, as of September 26, 2008 a western segment of Interstate 74 runs from Interstate 77 to US 52 just south of Mount Airy, again as the southern segment of Interstate 73 and U.S. Route 220 from just north of Asheboro to south of Candor, and finally a more eastern segment runs from Laurinburg to an end at NC 41 near Lumberton.

Future

outheast Extension

Long-range plans call for I-74 to continue east and south of Cincinnati to North Carolina using OH 32 from Cincinnati to Piketon, Ohio and then the proposed I-73 from Portsmouth through West Virginia (along current U.S. Route 52) to I-77. It would then follow I-77 through Virginia into North Carolina where it would connect to highways already signed as I-74. In 1996 AASHTO approved the signing of highways as I-74 along its proposed path east (south) of I-81 in Wytheville, Virginia where those highways meet interstate standards. North Carolina started putting up I-74 signs along its roadways in 1997.

Two sections of I-74 in North Carolina are currently under construction and one section was just completed. The completed one is the U.S. Route 74 freeway from the end of the Laurinburg–Maxton Bypass across Interstate 95 to NC 41 (19 miles) completed by the end of September 2008, though a convert|6|mi|km|sing=on section from Maxton to NC 710 opened earlier on November 30, 2007. With this opening I-74 signage was extended convert|13|mi|km east along the Laurinburg and Maxton bypasses. [cite web|url=http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/i74seg16.html|title=I-74 in NC Progress Page, Segment 16|accessdate=2007-12-27] The two convert|4|mi|km|sing=on segments under construction are the U.S. 311 Bypass of High Point, North Carolina, which also will carry I-74 from Business Loop 85 to Interstate 85, started construction in May 2007. The same contract started work on the first convert|6|mi|km of the I-74 freeway between I-85 and U.S. Route 220 (Future I-73), both projects should be complete by 2011. The second segment started construction of the rest of the US 311 route to US 220 in September 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/i74seg7.html|title=I-74 in NC Progress Page, Segment 7|accessdate=2008-08-15] The proposed path of I-74 east of I-95 is further along US 74 to NC 211 near Bolton then south along US 17 to near the South Carolina border. These sections are not currently proposed to be built perhaps for another 20 to 30 years. The N.C. Turnpike Authority–at the request of officials in Brunswick County–are studying whether a toll road could get the section of I-74 in that county built faster.Fact|date=December 2007

On February 11, 2005, the North and South Carolina Departments of Transportation came to an agreement over where I-74 (and I-73) would cross the border between the two states. It was decided that I-74 would cross the line as a northern extension of the Carolina Bays Parkway (S.C. Highway 31). I-74 is then proposed to end south of Myrtle Beach at U.S. Route 17. A spur route, which is expected to be called I-274, is proposed as designation for the yet-to be-constructed western half of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway (I-74 will run on the to-be-built eastern half, construction is to start around 2013).

Starting around Laurinburg and Maxton and to the east, the new I-74 runs concurrent with US 74. This is the first time that a U.S. and Interstate highway with the same number have been designated on the same highway.

Midwest extension

There is still some dispute over which routes will connect the existing stretches of I-74. Ohio has proposed that the stretch should run through the city of Cincinnati and from there either along State Route 32 or U.S. Route 52; while Kentucky officials want the road to begin in the west as part of a greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky bypass, then running along the AA Highway from near Brooksville, Kentucky until it joins I-64 near Ashland, Kentucky.Fact|date=February 2007

Major intersections

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Auxiliary routes

*Peoria, Illinois - I-474
*Winston-Salem, North Carolina - I-274 "(planned)"

ee also

*I-73/74 North-South Corridor
*Interstate 73
*U.S. Route 74

References

External links

* [http://www.duke.edu/~rmalme/prog74.html I-74 in NC Progress Page]
* [http://www.dot.state.sc.us/Projects/CarolinaBays/ SCDOT - Carolina Bays Parkway Phase II] (part of I-74)
* [http://www.aaroads.com/high-priority/corr05.html High Priority Corridor 5 (I-73/74)]
* [http://www.upgrade74.com/ Upgrade 74 Renovation Project]
* [http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/I-74.html I-74 on Cincinnati-Transit.net]
* [http://www.roadfan.com/i73awf6.html Interstate 74 Cincinnati to Piketon Corridor]
* [http://www.i74corridorstudy.org/ I-74 Iowa-Illinois Corridor Study]
* [http://illi-indi.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=3074&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Interstate 74]
* [http://illi-indi.com/EndsPage.php?id=3074&section=1 Indiana Highway Ends: Interstate 74]
* [http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-074.html AA Roads - Interstate 74]

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